Myanmar: Can't Protect Consumers From Harmful Imports (China)
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Myanmar's government has said it cannot ensure all imported food and medicine is safe, amid growing international concerns about the safety of products from China. Myanmar is flooded with Chinese goods and traders say many are substandard if not harmful. But the poor nation's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it doesn't have enough resources to control the quality of all imported products. "The FDA currently has only 100 staff, which is not enough to carry out strict monitoring processes to ensure the safety of the 50 million people in Myanmar," says the agency's director, Dr. Kyaw Lin. However, the FDA's responsibilities will soon be expanded to include screening cosmetics, consumer goods and medical equipment. China is the fourth biggest supplier of legal pharmaceuticals to Myanmar behind India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. Unregulated drugs also cross the border illegally. (Click here for more - May Require Paid Subscription